I’m going to start with the Friday Club Xmas bash. I know many of you won’t be interested in this but tough. I for one thought it was excellent, but then again I would wouldn’t I. I organised it! Seriously, it was great laugh with a great bunch of old farts plus the wonderful Jacqui and Louise who look after us so brilliantly. More importantly what all these great people do for CRFC is amazing. Over the years they have saved the club thousands, and where the club has invested in pitches and the environs of the clubhouse that investment has been made to deliver through the Friday Club’s work week in, week out.

One of the highlights was guess the baby. Yes, 28 photos of the Friday Club as babies. Yes, most of them in black & white from a bygone era. Tremendous fun.

Anyway back to matters at hand, the wider world of rugby. Australia have been rocked by their one true superstar defecting to the NRL. Mark Nawaqanitawase has foregone a chance to face the Lions and play in a home World Cup. I’m guessing money talks.

Ronan O’Gara will miss the weekend’s game, La Rochelle at home to Leinster, as he has been given another touchline ban for another unacceptable ill-disciplined outburst. This takes his total suspensions to 21 weeks, which for a brilliant former Irish international and one Europe’s best coaches is a disgrace quite frankly. It is a shame as La Rochelle v Leinster is one of the top matches of this opening round of the European competitions.

Bath v Ulster and Racing 92 v Harlequins are my other top picks of the weekend. That is of course after Thanet Wanderers v Crowborough RFC. If you have access to TNT Sports you are spoilt for choice. After the criticism of the English Premiership by the head of the professional leagues in France it will be interesting to see how things pan out. I expect the French clubs in the secondary completion won’t, as usual, take it very seriously whilst those in the Champions Cup will come out all guns blazing, especially after the disappointment of the World Cup.

Saracens are in Pretoria where they will face the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, a pretty hostile environment. I mention this as Owen Farrell is expected to start after announcing his sabbatical from international rugby. That decision, and his honesty around it, continues to earn praise from all quarters.

Another in the spotlight this weekend will be Henry Arundell in the aforementioned game, Racing 92 v Harlequins. Plenty of pundits, and his new coach Stuart Lancaster, have said Arundell will benefit from his stint in France, but then will have a massive decision to make: stay or return to England at the end of the season. Bath appear to be front runners if a return is the decision.

New Zealand have decided to stick rigidly to their policy of not selecting overseas players. The dream of top rugby in the US is in tatters as Rugby New York and Toronto Arrows collapse. It comes as no surprise as the NFL, NBA and MLB are all huge and Major League Soccer is on an upward trajectory.

Before wrapping up it will be interesting to see how the South African sides go in the European tournaments. I remain sceptical about their involvement, not from a quality of offering point of view but a) because of costs incurred and b) the lack of atmosphere home and away. With regard to the latter point one of the great things about the European tournaments is the opportunity to travel. I bet a weekend in La Rochelle is lovely right now, and probably reasonably affordable. A flight to Jo’Burg is significantly less affordable.

That’ll do for now except to say a few words about the immigration situation. Nearly 29,000 illegal migrants have arrived in the UK this year alone. That is Crowborough plus some. The cost of housing these people is astronomical. Something has to be done. YES, absolutely we HAVE TO protect the human rights of those at risk, but the vast majority of the illegals are economic migrants, and as has been proven some of them are undesirables. It is time for tough decisions to be made. The country is on its knees as it is.

Oh and by the way, can someone tell me why the car remains the spawn of satan in London but Sadiq Khan remains happy for night after night of slaughter on the streets of our capital to continue unabated.

Wednesday 6th Dec: 09:25

A slightly crazy day yesterday. Some urgent rugby matters to attend to then my weekly swim. Anyway back to normal this morning.

It was remiss of me not to mention the excellent performance of Sara Cox on Sunday in how the Leicester Tigers match v Newcastle was handled. Again much praise was heaped on her for her performance. She is a top flight referee and that is what we expect. We don’t now need to keep pointing out that she is a women. However in the often macho world of rugby a female whistle blower is a rarity. The point of mentioning this however is during the commentary the normally excellent Nick Mullins on TNT Sport made a couple of ill-advised comments about Ms Cox which certainly raised the hackles of Mrs Bleater. It was interesting that the normally irritating Austin Healey came to Mullins rescue on more than one occasion.

On a similar theme the excellent Hollie Davidson will be an assistant referee at the upcoming Six Nations. That is a well deserved appointment as she has been outstanding in the URC. The show pony Christophe Ridley makes it to the top with his first at Six Nations refereeing appointment. Well done him. Tom Foley is taking a sabbatical following the dreadful online abuse following the RWC.

The RFU have announced they have made a £4m operating profit for last season. That is quite an achievement actually but the accounts indicate there are still tough times ahead and many financial potholes to be avoided.

Premiership Rugby are considering moving their showpiece final from Twickenham. At last the light has come on. There are some amazing grounds around the country. Why not give easier access to this season ending highlight to those in the Midlands and the North. The Daily Fail carry the story.

Last Friday’s High Court appearance turned into a damp squib. The only thing that came out was the release of the names of the litigants and the obvious fact neither side was anywhere near ready to make, or to defend their case. One of the big criticism was anecdotal medical symptoms is not medical evidence. Brian Moore writing in the Torygraph has produced an excellent piece highlighting how it is way too early to make any sort of judgement as he too highlights the lack of concrete medical evidence that makes the class action viable, or even viable on an individual basis. He goes on to say the media stirring the pot is harmful to both sides, and whilst not explicit there is inference that some jumping on the bandwagon will do more harm than good. The bottom line is the game needs to reduce the number of instances of head contact.

Plenty in the papers about Owen Farrell and the praise he is getting for his stance. The pressures on top flight athletes to perform at the top of their game week in week out is becoming untenable especially as the game is almost year round.

The boss of French league rugby has waded into the criticism of the English set up and challenged the way the game is run. An obsession with money being the root cause, with a lack of focus on the product being delivered. Get the product right and the revenue will follow. It is not a bad principle. The issue for me however is there a high degree of (typically French) hypocrisy in the article where benefactors in the English game are criticised as a root cause. French clubs at the top level have serious benefactors and when they walk away the clubs struggle. French clubs are usually subsidised by local councils to a massive tune with grounds owned and financed by the state. How is that different to having a benefactor. There is also no mention of the financial robustness of the French clubs. I’d be interested to see the books. Where Msr Bouscatel is right is the accessibility of a quality product is much easier with the Top 14 and Pro D2 pricing tickets sensibly, offering an excellent match day experience, and most importantly delivering top notch rugby. There is also the point that the French league, whilst attracting top quality international players, have very strict rules on the number of non-French participants in match day squads. The Times does this story best.

Ok, to the weekend. Thanet Wanderers away. There is a coach. See the website for details. Kick off 2pm. In Europe it all kicks off on Friday with Connacht v Bordeaux Begles and Glasgow v Northampton. The second tier cup looks a better game with with Clermont Auvergne hosting Edinburgh. Plenty of great matches on Saturday and Sunday but I’ll get to them tomorrow.

So far I have failed dismally in my attempt to get any information on the Sussex lower leagues. I will persist with the challenge.

Finally the witch-hunt, aka the Covid inquiry, continues. Matt Hancock saying he wasn’t a liar was laughable. A liar, and a devious, self-serving, moron springs to mind. I told you so….. the boss of the health agency said the mass wearing of masks was next to useless and likely to have done much more harm than good. Boris the buffoon is the highlight of the circus today.

Must go, got to exercise the liver ahead of the Friday Club Xmas bash this lunchtime.

Monday 4th Dec: 10:20

Obviously we are going to start in Counties Kent 1 where Canterbury II are top but no longer perfect as they failed to get the bonus point against Ashford. Dartfordians are in 2nd spot after their narrow win at Bromley. We remain in 3rd after the 20-20 draw with Beccehamian. At the other end of the table Charlton Park enjoyed a change of fortunes with a comfortable 42-17 win over our next opponents Thanet Wanderers. Park remain bottom however. Sadly our friends Heathfield & Waldron lost at Deal & Betteshanger but unless my maths is wrong they did come home with a losing bonus point. The Greenies are in 9th ahead of Cranbrook who lost at Dover.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 it was a disappointing day for all three Sussex sides. East Grinstead lost narrowly at home to Weybridge Vandals. Hove traveled home from Old Walcountians with a 25-8 loss to consider. Eastbourne were thrashed at table topping, and still perfect, Teddington 62-5. All three Sussex clubs are now in the bottom half of the table.

In Hampshire 1 we find Bognor who lost at home to Gosport & Fareham, they slip to 8th in the league, Petersfield are top. Not a great advert for the game as Alton and Bournemouth II cry off.

In Sussex 1 it was a good day for Pulborough winning at Seaford to stay unbeaten and top. Shoreham won at Brighton II, our neighbours Uckfield lost at Haywards Heath, and Worthing III beat Crawley who sadly still prop up the table.

In Kent 3 Hastings & Bexhill enjoyed a rare win over Sittingbourne. Old Elthamians lead this league.

Up in Regional 2 South Central Chichester enjoyed a fine win over Guildford, they are still too close to the relegation zone for comfort however. Salisbury find themselves in an even worse position after being thrashed at Farnham 69-7. Jersey RFC continue to lead the way after beating Tottonians.

Up one more league we find Brighton who one by a single point at Maidenhead, 35-36. Tunbridge Wells fine season took a hit losing 31-10 at Bracknell. Sadly Horsham continue to find the reality of this league is a tough one losing at Hammersmith & Fulham 31-24. Horsham are 9th, Brighton 8th and TWells are 3rd. Camberley lead the way.

In the National 2 East most games were postponed, including the game at Sevenoaks. TJs did play and lost to table topping Dorking. Worthing were well beaten at Esher and look a bit forlorn in 13th spot.

It wouldn’t be Monday without knowing that Bridgnorth won away at Kenilworth. That moves them into 4th in Regional 1 Midlands.

Still haven’t watched Cardiff v Scarlets yet but I might try and look at Bath v Exeter before that. Based on the report that sounds a cracker. Leicester v Newcastle wasn’t. It was pretty much one way traffic after the opening 10 minute onslaught by the Falcons. Tommy Reffell was pretty imperious so lets hope he stays fit ahead of the Six Nations.

The Guardian continues to keep the head injury litigation high on its agenda, especially with former Wales lock and now TV pundit Andrew Coombs stating he has been diagnosed with early onset dementia.

We head into Europe next weekend so I’ll start looking towards that from tomorrow.

Before I wrap up the rugby news an apology to the teams like Lewes, Newick, Ditchling etc who continue to make a great contribution to the game in Sussex but I can’t readily find your results to include on a Monday morning. Likewise the cup results are equally well hidden. I have set myself a challenge to at least give a summary of the season so far at some point this week.

Elsewhere in sport England’s woeful performance in the cricket continues. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, again! Leicester City remain top of the Championship but form has dipped of late. The New Orleans Saints lose again and are now out of the playoff picture.

In the proper news the appalling situation in Gaza continues. The weather, as you would expect for the British press, is right up there. Kier Starmer has caused a bit of a stir by praising Margaret Thatcher. Hey ho!

Sunday 3rd Dec: 10:00

I’m going to start on Friday morning when a heavy blanket of frost and sub-zero temperatures shrouded the metropolis of Crowborough. The Steel Cross pitches were unplayable, all of them. Somewhat forlorn the Friday Club got on with their tasks regardless. At 11:00, like some miracle, the frost had cleared and the ground had softened. The lining team swung into action, and after several false starts finally got going at 11:45. The A pitch was marked and dressed and ready for action by 12:50.

Then on Saturday we awoke to another severe frost, fog and freezing temperatures. Surely the game will be off. Well it was want. Despite the temperatures and heavy mist we kicked off on time at 14:00. Now, before that was the Christmas lunch. Jacqui and Louise had the place looking a picture. The food was amazing. A traditional Christmas roast done to perfection. How you do it Jacqui is beyond my understanding. A brilliant prelude to a pretty enjoyable game.

As planned a minutes silence was held to mark the passing of Beccehamian stalwart Barry Bryant before battle commenced. Beccs came out of the traps like dogs on heat. They quickly tore into Crowborough’s defence and had us on the back foot from the outset. Big forwards taking the ball powerfully into would be tacklers, quick ball from the contact areas with their pacy backs looking to exploit any weakness. The Bard for the full blow by blow account. Missing several players, and having to make two last minute changes just ahead of kick off we were a bit all over the place. I think it is fair to say for the first time this season our tackling went AWOL. Too many first up tackles missed, and when tackles were made two or three of our defenders were sucked into the contact areas. Their #9 and #10 were a nuisance from the off: sniping runs, fast hands and great decision making. Their flankers, especially the #6, were everywhere. Yes, they were the better side.

They scored a slightly fortuitous try early on, but we were rewarded with an equally fortuitous effort of our own in the second half when Andy Kidd followed up a speculative kick ahead which bounced back into his arms off the posts. Despite their dominance at the lineout, and their ability to snuff out our attacks, and our haphazard tackling they never got away from us. This group never give up and kept chipping away so as Beccs tired we clawed our way back to 20-20. We nearly won it with an Ollie Clinch penalty at the end but it wasn’t to be.

Let me be quite frank here, Beccs will have gone home feeling hard done by. They were the better side, playing some great rugby at times. We were delighted with a draw. This time last season heads would have dropped and we would have been overrun. Not any more. There is a spirit, a togetherness about this squad. They have a belief in their ability and don’t know when they are beaten. Yesterday was a great result.

We are in 3rd behind Dartfordians and still unbeaten Canterbury. Full league round up tomorrow.

A word for our referee Mr Stewart Goodwin. A very good performance sir. The game was kept moving, decisions were consistent and an enjoyable game ensued.

Our 2nd XV were away at Heathfield & Waldron. We came away with a 31-10 win. This was played as a cup and league double header. Well done boys.

What other rugby have I watched. The Harlequins v Sale game was a cracker on Friday night. Marcus Smith came out ahead in the chase for the coveted England #10 jersey with George Ford being decidedly off colour. Quins were excellent, Sale less so. The big bust up was totally unnecessary started by the stroppy Sale scrum half. Johnny Hill’s actions however were disgraceful, in my opinion. That forearm to the throat of a defenceless Quins player trapped at the bottom of the melee needs looking at.

Then last evening Saracens v Saints was a pretty tense affair. Saracens, missing the injured Owen Farrell, were a long way from their best. Saints were on song and deserved the win.

Later today we have Leicester v Newcastle but I’ll probably be watching the cricket from the Caribbean. After my Spanish lesson this morning I might watch Cardiff v Scarlets.

The proper news is seriously depressing. If this offends then tough but Israel are now doing way more harm to their cause than good. There is retribution for the atrocities suffered at the hands of Hamas, but right now the slaughter of innocent civilians is unacceptable. Trying to cut the head off of a hydra is a fools prerogative.

Thursday 30th Nov: 09:40

Owen Farrell leads the way this morning, as he does in all the papers. Right up front I will state on many occasions I have not been a fan of Farrell. His attitude towards referees, his awful tackle technique, therefore his discipline record, and sometimes his general childish petulance when things don’t go his way. However, no-one can deny his contribution to the game both at Saracens and England. His scoring record alone speaks volumes and when on song he has been the heart beat of the team. He has been in the spotlight for a significant amount of time and regardless of what he gets paid, and the adulation of his fans, that has to take a toll, especially when that spotlight is dissecting all the bad stuff ad nauseam. It takes a brave man, in the macho world of rugby, to stand up and say “I need a break, or I’m going to breakdown”. His decision to take a sabbatical from the international game makes sense. Saracens is his “other” family where he feels at home and generally away from the searing glare of the armchair critics, yes, like me, which is why continuing to play there makes sense. “Good on him” is what I say.

What this announcement does do is it throws open the door to a new captain. With Courtney Lawes off the scene who does Steve Borthwick turn to, or does he go game by game? The obvious two candidates will be George Ford and Jamie George but is there a left field candidate out there we haven’t thought off. It also opens the door for a more regular berth at outside half for Marcus Smith, or does it? If Ford is an option as captain he starts at #10 surely. We’ll know soon enough.

The bigger question of course is will Farrell ever don the England shirt again. If he finds relief being away from the international game what motivation is there to return to that particular cauldron. You can guarantee money wouldn’t be the reason. Only time will tell.

The Guardian carries the latest update on the head injury litigation. Tomorrow is a pivotal day as the High Court will decide if the case can go ahead. Andy Bull has put together a really insightful and well balanced piece which if you don’t find time to read anything else this morning can I suggest you follow up on this one.

Plenty of action planned for the weekend. I guess the weather might have an impact. We are at home to Beccehamian who sadly lost long time club stalwart Barry Bryant just this week. CRFC will pay their respects ahead of kick off. I haven’t yet ventured outside this morning but it would be well worth your time to check the website if you were planning on heading to Steel Cross on Saturday. Whatever happens lunch will go ahead as planned.

Harlequins v Sale gets us going on Friday evening, but it is Bath v Exeter that catches the eye on Saturday. Sarries v Saints will be worth watching, and guess what, all the attention will be on one Mr Farrell. For me Cardiff v Scarlets is the game of the day. That will be a S4C / Scrum 5 iPlayer job sadly.

The final walking rugby session tonight before the winter break. We’ll be starting again late February/early March, weather and pitch conditions dependent.

I see football have agreed to trial the ten minute sin bin for referee abuse. Both Nigel Owens and Rob Baxter have warned soccer needs to be careful what it wishes for. Both are critical of the constant “tinkering” with the laws of our game and have pointed out that soccer might want to avoid going down that road, especially as the introduction of VAR has certainly not been an unmitigated success. The Guardian for the full interview.

Talking of soccer I watched the Galatasaray v Manchester United game yesterday. Soccer is so much simpler than rugby, and this was a barnstorming, action packed contest. It reminded me of my recent rugby experiences, first with my friend and neighbour on Friday, then my grandson on Saturday. Both had watched rugby with me before so weren’t novices but their constant stream of questions about clarification made me realise how complicated rugby is. 56 years I’ve been involved in the game and I still get confused about the decisions. You add in the boredom factor when the game is dominated by kicking no wonder it remains a minority support.

I see Piers Morgan has gone out on a limb and named the royals who asked the alleged racist question about a baby’s colour. A storm in a tea cup as far as I’m concerned. The Odious Scobie is a self-publicising devious arse. There are way more important things to worry about, like the Middle East and Ukraine and the way the world is spiralling into anarchy.

Back on Sunday but I will flag up any postponement to Saturday’s game as soon as news is available.

Wednesday 29th Nov: 09:10

You know you are up against it in terms of finding blog content when Stuart Hogg’s private life is the lead rugby story in some papers. Much to do yesterday and little to pontificate on. Anyway, today is another day.

Still desperately little stuff of consequence, actually not quite true, we still have France and Japan. Why France and Japan? Simply because the exodus across La Manche by British based players is increasing, and the flights to Japan from Europe, but more importantly from New Zealand and Australia are filling with players chasing a decent pay day. Wales have recently reduced the eligibility criteria from 60 caps making France a decent proposition for some seasoned professionals. Australia led the way with Giteau’s law but have recently had to look long and hard whether their 60 cap rule needs tweaking downwards. South Africa don’t give a damn. If you are the best, and in form, you are in.

So here lies the point. England, the biggest union, has stuck to its guns and steadfastly refused to move from the mantra: “English based players are the only players playing for England”. Lewis Ludlum has announced he is off to France, Henry Arundell after only a few weeks in Paris is ripping up trees, Tom Willis is staying at Toulouse, Sam Skinner has gone and Maro Itoje is a serious target for several of the big French clubs. More than one pundit has said it is time for the RFU to change it’s tune and face up to reality. If the English clubs cannot compete financially with their French counterparts why hold the international side back on a point of principle. Steve Borthwick has also alluded to the need for change.

What makes this a nonsense is how the RFU are more than happy to allow English clubs fill their squads with overseas talent. Take Leicester Tigers for example. Their win over Gloucester saw a massive turnaround in fortune. Why? When you have World Cup winners like Pollard and Wiese returning, one of the best 7s in the world in Tommy Reffell back, and a leader of the stature of Argentina’s Montoya returning, things are going to get better. Four key players, in key positions, who are not eligible to play for England. You can’t have it both ways.

So what is the answer? Reduce the number of overseas players in each squad significantly. Use the money to keep England based players here, or you bite the bullet and accept that overseas based players are eligible to play for England and find a way to make that work effectively. New Zealand are going through the same angst after failing to bring home the World Cup.

As an aside Gerard Meagher in The Guardian, whose article got me thinking about the above, does go on to say that Henry Arundell being included in Borthwick’s squad is not cut and dry. He rather pointedly states that unless Borthwick delivers a more open running style of play and reduces significantly the reliance on the kick and chase then why bother with Arundell. His undoubted talent with ball in hand would be wasted as he would rarely get the chance to showcase it, and right now his defence needs work.

Courtney Lawes has left the door open for the Lions tour to Australia but slammed the door closed to an England return. Sorry, I find that a bit pompous but there you go.

As expected, as the 300 high profile rugby litigants take their head injury case to court so it will become more prominent in the papers. The Daily Fail, who love to be negative, have latched on to it. The BBC go down a slightly different road highlighting that as the women’s game grows so the research/data looking at the impact of head collision there is woefully lacking. There was also a piece, I bet it was initiated by an injury lawyer, that says the incident of brain issues in footballers from heading needs to be much more intensely investigated.

It is totally unacceptable to read that Tom Foley, despite the fact he did cock-up, has been receiving death threats, and significantly worse so has his family, following his involvement in the World Cup Final. What is wrong with these people.

In the absence of any other reading material go online and read about George North’s plans for life after rugby. He is already running several successful and still growing businesses. The boy has found a niche in the market and is making a good job of exploiting it. WalesOnline of course.

A look ahead to the weekend tomorrow. Must go, got get the blood pressure up reading about scumbags like Omid Scobie, the fact Wealden District Council are paying employees heating bills when they work at home, and how drivers are banned from London whilst machete wielding muggers are allowed to roam free.

Monday 27th Nov: 09:35

A dank and dreary Monday morning with very little rugby to discuss. I thank my mate PK for confirming my view that Sara Cox handled the Northampton v Quins game brilliantly. Perhaps some would say this is discriminatory, but I say “credit where credit is due”. It also highlights you don’t need to have ridiculous quotas in place, you use the very best person to do the job regardless of gender, race, religion or any other of the crazy descriptors people now use to describe themselves.

I watched Newcastle’s run of losses continue yesterday as Exeter finally got an away win on the board. It was an ok game: not brilliant, not terrible. Henry Slade made enough of an impact to suggest Steve Borthwick was wrong in not taking him to France for the World Cup. Whilst Newcastle tick the right boxes, and of course are shareholders in the Premiership, you do have to ask whether Ealing Trailfinders would make more of a fist of it. That said the North East would become a top flight rugby wasteland if that were to happen.

In the Welsh derby Ospreys put Scarlets in their place yesterday. I can’t tell you much more about that as it was only shown on Viaplay, and I’m not paying for that. The Daily Fail has waded into the Six Nations TV debate with its headline: “rugby in grave peril if it turns it back on Free TV”. I have access to plenty of rugby but between my daughter and myself that doesn’t come cheap. There are many who don’t watch the game because it is behind a TV pay wall and matters will only get worse if the Six Nations showpiece disappears. There were plenty of non rugby folk who watched and enjoyed the World Cup because it was accessible. Likewise there are many who have become more interested in cricket thanks to The Hundred being widely available via the BBC. The clowns running the game have to look beyond the coffers and think about the wider benefit of terrestrial TV.

It was a “spare” weekend so little grassroots rugby to report on. There were a couple of games so here goes. TJs won at Worthing in a high scoring game. TJs fine form continues, Worthing continue to struggle. Sevenoaks lost at high flying Dorking. Hove lost at home 27-29 to KCS Old Boys. Bognor also lost at home in a 36-37 thriller with Andover. In Kent 3 Hastings & Bexhill pulled out of their game with table topping Old Elthamians.

A full fixture list next weekend including Crowborough v Beccehamian. If you haven’t booked in for Xmas lunch yet I suggest you get a move on.

There’s a fascinating piece in the Torygraph about how the RFU have stepped in to rescue the academies of Wasps, Worcester and London Irish. The kids who have been identified has having the ability to move into the big time are being looked after. As they reach the last year of their schooling they can, with a few hoops to be jumped through, move from their current location to another club. I am not the greatest fan of the academy system as there are significantly more kids who get thrown on the scrap and leave rugby altogether than those who go on to play in the top flight.

Plenty of coverage of the spat between Owen Farrell and Luke Pearce. I for one think that Owen Farrell’s attitude towards the officials persistently oversteps the mark. That said based on what I have seen Luke Pearce didn’t manage it particularly well. WalesOnline if you are vaguely interested.

Elsewhere the F1 yawn fest came to an end yesterday with another Verstappen start to finish procession. Manchester United’s Garnacho scores a wonder goal. The New Orleans Saints lose again. The Mighty Foxes are back to their winning ways.

In the proper news the hostages held by Hamas are finally being released and the ceasefire has held. Will all the hostages be returned home and if so will that open the floodgates for more indiscriminate Israeli bombardments of Gaza. What do Hamas do next? Further mindless atrocities against innocent Israelis. I see no end in sight to this horrendous situation.

Should Ukraine and Russia see sense as the bitter winter approaches and strike a peace deal, no matter how unplayable it is for both sides. More mindless slaughter will achieve nothing.

Sunday 26th Nov: 09:00

With no rugby at Steel Cross yesterday this’ll be short Sunday morning missive. My rugby viewing started on Friday with Cardiff v Stormers. The much maligned Welsh outfit ultimately proved to be the “stormers” after twice coming from behind earning a late and well deserved victory. Whilst it wasn’t a game of the highest quality, it was a fascinating contest with plenty of young Welsh talent on show.

Then yesterday I caught up with Northampton Saints v Harlequins. This was a cracking contest with lots of tries, plenty of quality action, and the odd bit of controversy. Alex Mitchell brought his World Cup form to Franklins Gardens. Marcus Smith looked somewhat jaded.

Both games were beautifully refereed, coincidentally by females. Both Holly Davidson and Sara Cox were precise with their decisions yet refereeing with empathy. It was a joy to watch.

Then came the Gloucester v Leicester game. An error strewn arm wrestle in the first half, a better contest in the second. With they myriad of international stars back, especially Tommy Reffell and Handre Pollard, Leicester looked more like the side of years gone by. Despite their array of talent Gloucester looked bereft of ideas. Very lateral in the backs and unable for long periods to dominate up front.

Strangely, and this might be unconscious bias, I thought Tom Foley, the merry whistle blower, didn’t cover himself with glory. A couple of dubious cards, overly long advantage, and an over-reliance on the TMO.

Good wins for Sale over Bath, and reading the report Saracens overcame a stubborn Bristol outfit for their win.

Off the field the confusion surrounding the future of the Championship continues. Robert Kitson has perfectly summarised the lack of clarity and the lack of opportunity. The cabal that is the Premiership is not going to open the door to upstarts like Ealing Trailfinders, or Cornish Pirates, or dare I say it Ampthill. The RFU’s restrictive rules on ground capacity etc. are a serious impediment to advancement. What the article doesn’t state however is the aforementioned clubs are all bankrolled by a “loads-a-money” benefactor whilst those clubs at the bottom of the table are semi-professional or close to amateur. With such a divergence of financial clout alone the Championship is not necessarily in a place to be throwing stones. Glass houses and all that.

An article from New Zealand caught my eye as it resonates with the fear that the Six Nations could move off free-to-air TV. Despite what most of us might think, New Zealand rugby is not in the rudest of health. One solution that has been put forward is to move a significant chunk of top flight games from pay-to-view channels to free-to-air TV. It makes sense, of course it does. The dilemma, which is the same for the Six Nations, is money. The big satellite TV companies are the ones with the cash, and as you know all the unions across the globe are in need of cash.

Plenty of action in the URC with the Dragons being spectacularly brought down to earth by the Sharks. Leinster clawed their way to victory over Irish rivals Munster. Ulster fell at the final hurdle allowing Glasgow back into the game for a win. Ospreys v Scarlets this afternoon.

Plenty in the papers to get the blood pressure on the up. The pathetic witch hunt that is the Covid enquiry. People trying to post-rationalise their ill-thought through decisions or point the finger of blame away from themselves. Even the chuckle brothers, Vallance and Whitty, are at it.

Then you have the pathetic antics of Just Stop Oil. The legal system has final woken up to the fact that throwing soup at priceless works of art isn’t democratic protest, it is downright criminal vandalism.

The nightmares that are Ukraine and the Middle East continue. How either conflict is going to end is beyond my feeble mind. This here blog is finished for the day however.

Thursday 23rd Nov: 12:15

Cost of living crisis, what cost of living crisis. I was in London yesterday to meet up with some old work colleagues, and a very nice evening it was too. The pub, as were most of the ones I walked past, was packed. The shops up and down Oxford and Regent Street were very happy: the tills were ringing. There were many other aspects of my few hours in our great capital that troubled me but as this is the club website I’ll keep those comments to myself…. Except maybe to point out that already this year the number of illegal migrants arriving exceeds the population of Crowborough.

The delay in writing this guff is nothing to do with my night out by the way. Just so much other stuff to do, like writing letters of complaint to a major supermarket CEO.

Anyway, to rugby. Don’t forget all the great stuff the club is doing between now and Christmas. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Owen Farrell has echoed my sentiment that moving the Six Nations away from free-to-air TV will be to the games detriment. Well said sir. The Guardian for the full story.

Eddie Jones has said he throughly enjoyed his time in England but wouldn’t contemplate a job with Ireland, Scotland, and in his words, or “that shitty little place” Wales. Good, because I’m sure none of those countries wouldn’t want a shitty little weasel like you making a mess of the game there.

Plenty more injury woes in the news. Taine Plumtree and Justing Tipuric out for several weeks, possibly months.

Richard Cockerill didn’t hang about did he? He’s in line to become the next Georgian coach. A good opportunity me thinks.

Peter O’Mahoney steps down as Munster captain. Is this the first step towards hanging up his boots altogether. I hope not, just yet anyway. He is an old fashioned protagonist on and off the field. The game needs a few of those.

Plenty of experts talking about what needs to change in our game. The scrum, without doubt. It is sucking the life of every contest. Penalties, turn most into free kicks which have to be tap and go. The TMO, except requests from the referee and serious foul play that warrants a straight red card, shut them up. Keep players on their feet at the ruck. Subs, reduce the number to three, but I’d accept five.

I apologise to all English fans for not mentioning yesterday it was the anniversary of the 2003 World Cup win. I will add that despite millions of hard earned British pounds, a huge amount of human resource and the biggest playing pool, England have pretty much done jack all since!!!

Just a reminder that the Vintage XV are at home on Saturday and our Colts on Sunday.

In the big boy leagues Saints v Quins and Sale v Bath tomorrow evening. Gloucester v Leicester on Saturday should be good. On Sunday the highlight is Ospreys v Scarlets. Plenty of Women’s Premiership Rugby too. Check on TNT Sports for which game is being televised.

OK that’ll do except to say “I told you so”. The Government are wetting themselves not because we the voters are having a hard time (or not, I refer you back to my opening paragraph), but because they are in fear of being thrown on the dung heap. Strange how money can suddenly appear.

As expected the most hawkish of hawks, Netanyahu, went on record to say how he will destroy Hamas. It therefore comes as no surprise the ceasefire hasn’t happened so the hostages are still held in captivity.

It really is troubling when you have nutcases like Netanyahu, Putin, Kin Jong-un, the Iranians and the doddery old twit Biden with their fingers on the nuclear trigger. On that note back on Sunday.

Wednesday 22nd Nov: 09:35

Hopefully the weather is going to stay dry for few days. Much to do on the Steel Cross pitches even though it is a blank weekend for the 1st XV. I understand our Vintage XV host Brighton Sea Serpents on Saturday and the Colts host Haywards Heath on Sunday. You’ll need to check the website for details.

While I am at it a couple of other parish notices. The Xmas lunch will be on Dec 2nd ahead of the 1st XV game v Beccehamian. I understand places are going fast so book early. There will be one of Jacqui’s lasagne specials ahead of the game with Heathfield & Waldron on Dec 16th. That will also be a popular event so again get booked in now. Finally Champagne, Cheese & Carols is the following day on Dec 17th. One of the marquee days in the CRFC calendar. All the details can be found on the website.

I have a busy day ahead so just a few snippets from trawling through the papers this morning. England have suffered a Six Nations blow with Sale’s Tom Curry out for the rest of the season. He requires hip surgery. Ben Earl on the other hand is scheduled to return ahead of the tournament following his knee operation.

Injuries are more prevalent both here in England and Wales where the salary caps have seen squads cut. Smaller squads mean more games, more games increase the risk of injuries. Dan Lydiate chomping at the bit to be back playing for the Dragons. One game and now out for a long period due to injury.

Louis Rees-Zammit after a fine World Cup and a blistering start to the domestic season is rumoured to be a target of Bordeaux and Montpellier. No surprise there. Thankfully he has the requisite number of caps that he remains eligible for international duty with Wales.

Wayne Barnes has said we need a shot clock for the lineout. They are taking too long. Not wrong but if we have a shot clock for everything we might as well be playing American Football.

One of the big bonuses for rugby, coming out of the World Cup was the interest it generated by being on terrestrial TV. The Six Nations does much the same for the game. How much longer that will last is open to debate. The BBC have gone on record, even though they now only cover a fraction of the tournament, to say it is becoming prohibitively expensive and they are considering their position. ITV might pick up the slack but the concern is the new Nations Cup that is on the horizon. One of the big pay-to-view players might want to pick up both the Six Nations and the new tournament as a bundle. This would be disastrous for the game’s exposure. With the same media players having to pay ever inflated prices for the football rights there might not be an appetite for a big rugby deal. We’ll know soon enough.

Richard Cockerill didn’t last long. A shake up at the top of Montpellier’s hierarchy by Msr Altrad saw Bernard Laporte arriving to front up the organisation and Cockerill being dismissed. Seven games and it was over.

Antoine DuPont’s decision to focus on the Olympics has caused quite a storm. It’s akin to treason, or that is what some of the media hype will tell you. These opportunities come around infrequently so you have to seize them while you can. Carpe diem and all that.

Elsewhere Wales haven’t qualified for the Euros. A 1-1 draw with Turkey wasn’t enough.

At last a ray of hope in the Middle East. The unnecessary slaughter of innocent civilians is being halted as a ceasefire has been agreed. Hostages freed and a four day cessation of hostilities while people take stock. Sorry to be pessimistic but I fear once the hostages are home the unbridled atrocities will recommence. I don’t see Netanyahu stopping until he deems Hamas exists no more. A forlorn hope as trying to cut the head of the hydra results in more heads I fear.

Aren’t our politicians a bunch of two faced deviants with only their interest at heart. I won’t be disappointed with tax cuts to both individuals and business but it was only week or so ago that tax cuts were out of the question because our debt mountain was too high and the economy was not stable enough. Now those in power are looking at being out of a job money miraculously appears from nowhere.

Tuesday 21st Nov: 09:05

Not a great deal of rugby news in the papers this morning. Sadly what there is makes depressing reading. The racial abuse hurled at Ugo Monye leads in most cases. It seems there is CCTV footage of the incident which is being followed up by the police. What compounds the matter is it is alleged there was a scuffle in the stands at the same time as the abuse was heard. Both these are, in my opinion, indicative of how society is breaking down. Parts of the country are like the Wild West, crime goes unchallenged and unabated, and people have no respect for anyone else other than themselves. Common sense and common decency are things of the past I’m afraid. People’s views become entrenched and it is “my way or no way”. Wokery, political correctness, misinformation and an ever present sense of entitlement are all contributing.

There is an ever growing fear that the appalling behaviour you see at football matches is creeping into our game. Scuffles at matches, match official abuse, lack of respect for the opposition are all indicative of the slide down the slippery pole. Only last night I was on a call with the RFU where some of the counties are proposing in junior matches parents of the teams playing are to be separated due to poor pitch side behaviour. This cannot be right.

Match official abuse is definitely on the increase. In part it starts as referees allow more and more players to question their decisions. You read my blog on Sunday where this was mentioned. By the way Crowborough weren’t blameless. It isn’t a big step before that questioning turns into something much more unpalatable.

If all that wasn’t bad enough the legal cases relating to historical head injuries are starting. This will begin to dominate the news as the hearings are reported, I fear in more and more lurid detail. Rugby has gone a long way in terms of managing head contact and other than reducing the tackle height at the top of the game I can’t think what else can be done. Rugby is a physical, dynamic game so inevitably head injuries will occur, as they do in many other less dynamic sports.

It was sad to read of the death of 1995 South African World Cup winner Hannes Strydom dying in a car crash. The 21 times capped 58 year old died following a collision with a minibus. When your time is up, sadly your time is up.

The controversial Hamish McLennan has been ousted from his position as the head of Rugby Australia. The Aussies now have a blank canvas to get things right ahead of the 2025 Lions tour and the World Cup in four years time.

With the salary cap being enforced will the RFU have to bite the bullet and introduce a change to the selection policy. Will regulations like in Wales and Australia where you can play overseas and still be eligible based on the number of caps previously earned be introduced. There are plenty who are now suggesting it has to come, especially in the light of the Maro Itoje situation.

Sorry but there isn’t much else to write about this morning.

In other news what we already knew is being confirmed. We were misled during Covid and many of the actions we were forced into taking were unnecessary driven by political need rather than scientific fact. Likewise the ULEZ propaganda published in many papers was inaccurate at best and downright false at worse. Is it no wonder anarchy is becoming more prevalent when we are being, dare I say it, lied to.

The Stop Oil morons continue their inane activity, as much driven by the desire for social media popularity as it is highlighting their misguided convictions about climate change.

Right, that’ll do. It is all too depressing. Off for a swim to relieve the tension.

Monday 20th Nov: 10:30

First up a thank you to those who got in touch about yesterday’s missive. Much appreciated. I can confirm that based on the regulations as they stand now Canterbury II cannot be promoted into the regional leagues, which as suggested makes a mockery of the league structure. Thanks Liberty.

Anyway, moving on. Saturday’s well deserved win puts them 9 points clear of Dartfordians who enjoyed a very fortuitous win over our friends The Greenies by scoring with the last play of the game. 15-20 that one. We are now in 3rd spot ahead of Beccehamian who beat Charlton Park and Bromley who won at Ashford. We all have 35 points. Thanet Wanderers and Dover fought out a 22-22 draw. Cranbrook beat Deal & Betteshanger. Sadly Charlton Park prop up the table with Thanet just above them.

Surrey/Sussex 1: in the game of the day Eastbourne beat East Grinstead 26-24. Hove enjoyed a fine win over Kingston 27-12. Teddington remain perfect at the top with Old Cranleighans bottom. Eastbourne are 5th, Hove 9th, East Grinstead 10th.

In Hampshire 1 Bognor enjoyed an excellent win at Portsmouth. They are in 7th one place below my old club Trojans. It is disappointing to see Eastleigh HWO with Alton pulling out. Table topping Petersfield dropped their first points drawing with Havant II. (No, I don’t need to say any more!)

In Sussex 2 Pulborough beat Haywards Heath in the big game of the day and stay top. Uckfield beat Worthing III moving them to mid-table. Crawley lost at home to Shoreham. Burgess Hill lost at home to Seaford. Crawley are somewhat adrift at the bottom.

In Kent 3 Hastings & Bexhill beat New Ash Green. Old Elthamians top the table with a perfect record, and two games in hand.

Moving up in to the Regional leagues, 2 South Central to be precise, we find Jersey RFC clear at the top with a perfect 10 from 10. Chichester are finding life difficult losing at Tottonians. Salisbury lost at home to Wimborne. Chichester are now 11th, Salisbury 10th. Up a league in 1 South Central it was a better day for Horsham beating Marlborough 12-5, they are now 10th. Brighton beat CS Stags with an identical scoreline. Tunbridge enjoyed a much more comfortable win over Maidenhead putting them into 3rd spot.

Up in the rarified and very expensive National League 2 East Canterbury came away from Guernsey with a 34-10 win. TJs beat Wimbledon and Sevenoaks beat Worthing. Dorking are top. TJs are 7th one place behind Canterbury, ‘Oaks are 10th, Worthing are one place off the bottom in 13th.

Before we look at the big boys Bridgnorth lost at home to Stoke-on-Trent.

Plenty of action in the Premiership and the URC. The Bath v Bristol game was a cracker on Friday night. Listening to the second half in the car on Saturday its sounds as if Leicester v Saints was controversy laden. Quins were put to the sword by a rampant Saracens. The Exeter v Gloucester contest wasn’t bad either. I think Exeter can count themselves very lucky indeed.

In the URC the Dragons beat the Ospreys. Hoorah. It was a pretty good game actually with a number of the Welsh contingent playing well. Scarlets were put in their place by an outstanding Leinster side. Cardiff could only draw against the Zebra.

To scan through the papers and read about the appalling, outrageous racial abuse that Ugo Monye was subject to at Sandy Park yesterday is disturbing. We cannot allow rugby to go down the same path as much of society where common decency and goodwill to all has pretty much gone out of the window. There is no place for racism in society and certainly no place for it in rugby.

The other story that caught the eye is the Maro Itoje v Owen Farrell debate. Saracens find themselves between a rock and a hard place in that one of these two players will have to accept a massive pay cut in the near future. One of them will no longer be able to be classified as a marquee player within the salary cap regulations. At the moment that is looking increasingly likely to be Itoje, especially as moves to France or Japan were circulating pre-RWC. George North is likely to find himself in a similar position at the Ospreys.

Australia won the ICC World Cup beating a well below par India. Max Verstappen won the Las Vegas F1 jamboree. Yawn!

Sunday 19th Nov: 09:10

There is only one place to start and that is over at Canterbury. As I’m doing the match report as well I’ll give you an opinion piece here and the blow by blow account in the report. Right up front none of what is to come is a criticism of Canterbury RFC, they are a very well run, very successful club who play whatever is put in front of them.

Whilst for 20 minutes we looked the better side playing some superb rugby, with a solo effort from young Jonte Fraser that would grace any ground, we were always going to be up against it. Why? We were up against a 2nd XV of a National League 2 side, level 4, or three levels above us. I am led to believe eight of their side yesterday had played national league rugby this season. The gaps between the leagues are wide as Dartfordians found out when they were promoted and subsequently relegated, and dare I say it, what Horsham are finding out this season. You can then add in a senior squad of 55 players to choose from many of whom will be on some form of contract where you get paid to play. All this adds up to a mis-match, not just yesterday, but for the last 9 nine games. Nine wins all with a bonus point, a points difference of +254, and nine points clear of second place Dartfordians. Hence my ongoing challenge: why has this been allowed to happen?

I repeat this is NOT a criticism of Canterbury RFC or any other club, like Tunbridge Wells 2s and TJs 2s who are playing in Kent 3, it is a criticism of the blazers who have allowed this to happen. There is no benefit to the big clubs other than possibly as scouting missions for new talent. There is no benefit to the other clubs, many of who struggle to keep a 1st XV on the field. There is (potentially) another complication which makes a mockery of the system when you consider Canterbury RFC II can’t be promoted into the regional leagues. NB this is my understanding as I type. To be confirmed.

The solution is to have a 2nd XV league for these clubs that mirrors their 1st XV. The quality of the competition would be better. Both sides could play at the same time and in the same place. A great way to build squad team spirit.

For those of you who read this guff on a regular basis know I have bleated on about this from the moment it was decided. This is NOT about us losing. We actually played extremely well. This is about the integrity of the game, and to a degree player welfare.

I’ve made my point so lets move on.

As already said we started very well indeed. We played with confidence, skill and determination. Backs and forwards linked superbly and we had our hosts on the back foot. Their defence was excellent. We opened the score with that Fraser special and for much of the first half that was how it stood; 7-0. A couple of sloppy mistakes from us and before you knew it they were on the board. Their passing and support play was excellent and some of their technical work was better than ours.

In the second half they continued to seize their opportunities either through individual brilliance or excellent teamwork. Despite us losing three key players to injury our heads didn’t drop. We stuck at it and tackled and tackled, and when we had the ball we tried to play positively. We had them on the back foot in the scrum and we matched them in the lineout. There were times when we dominated but unlike Canterbury we couldn’t turn that into points.

The better team won, and deservedly, but from a Crowborough perspective if we play like we did for a decent portion of the game we will put someone to the sword. As I drove home the injuries to Will Creasy, Andy Kidd and Alex Purnell troubled my thoughts but I was immensely proud of how we performed. How we stuck at it, even down to 14 men. Well done Crowborough RFC.

I thought the man in the middle did well: consistent and generally unflustered. I will criticise our hosts as I found some of their sniping at the referee unnecessary and unedifying. I was asked why the referee kept his cards in his pocket after three consecutive penalties at the scrum. I don’t know but that is his prerogative.

No game next week, a chance to rest weary bodies. Tomorrow will be the league round-up.

ICC World Cup final is on as I type. The F1 rerun is on shortly. Exeter v Gloucester this afternoon. A nice pork roast dinner later too. Sod vegetarianism.

Saturday 18th Nov: 09:15

I haven’t heard to the contrary so please work on the basis that the kick off today is 14:30

Back tomorrow

Thursday 16th Nov: 09:50

Good morning, on this grey and overcast start to the day. First up is an update on Canterbury II v CRFC. There is some confusion about the kick off time. At time of writing yesterday the information in the blog was correct. I understand the game may now kick off at 14:30, 30 minutes earlier than announced. Please check here tomorrow/ Saturday morning for confirmation.

Not a great deal in the rugby pages but here is what I have found. Johnny May gets a three match ban for his dangerous clear out at the ruck. I understand Ollie Lawrence broke his nose in the incident. May has the opportunity to reduce the ban to two matches if, after his long and glittering career, he attends tackle school. It really is pathetic!!!!!

There is talk Henry Arundell is being looked at as a possible NRL recruit. Wow, that would be quite some move.

Antoine Dupont is unlikely to take part in the Six Nations as he eyes up a surprise move to join France’s 7s squad ahead of the Olympics. That would be a shame for the Six Nations but a once in a lifetime opportunity for Dupont. Three other first choice French stars are rumoured to be considering the same move. WalesOnline carries the story.

The Fail tells us after his omission from the World Cup squad Australia’s Michael Hooper is considering the same move. Representing Australia in the Olympic 7s tournament would be a marvellous way to bring the curtain down on a wonderful career.

Steve Borthwick is considering Richard Wigglesworth’s future within his coaching team. There are rumours the new coach at Leicester Tigers, Dan McKellar, might be tempered back to Oz. If that were to happen Wigglesworth could be the ideal replacement. It has already been announced that Kevin Sinfield is being replaced by Felix Jones. One of the failings of the Eddie Jones era was the constant changing of the guard in terms of coaches. Let’s hope Borthwick is not going down the same road.

Burglars decide to leave the Rugby World Cup behind after they break into South Africa’s rugby HQ. They opt instead for whisky, signed shirts and laptops, obviously all easily turned into cash.

As much as I trawl through the papers that is about it for rugby news, unless you want to hear the sordid details of Stuart Hogg leaving his wife, and James Haskell’s split from his. No, nor do I. I’ll leave that for those who read The Sun.

Big weekend of sport ahead. The F1 hits Las Vegas. Millions invested into the event but all it will be will be another procession with very little action and way too much razzmatazz. Max Verstappen will win.

The second ICC World Cup semi-final is on as I type. Yesterday’s contest between India and New Zealand was a cracker. Right now South Africa are 24-4.

International football is back. Make or break for Wales, Armenia away on Saturday, Turkey at home on Tuesday.

I see David Cameron is getting his trips in early as he arrives in Ukraine for talks with Zelensky. We need to keep the Ukraine conflict on the radar. It would only take one moment of madness from Putin and we are all doomed.

The Middle East remains a tinderbox. The Israeli PR machine is in full swing with plenty of as of yet unverifiable claims about Hamas control and command centres. Hamas continues to commit atrocities but I for one still cannot understand why a ceasefire is not possible. Why does more innocent blood need to be shed.

Finally, can you help me understand how the hypocritical, multi-travelled big mouth Greta Thunberg can be in London one minute, Germany the next, back home in Sweden shortly after that and still claim to be concerned about the environment. I bet she isn’t cycling between each destination. I see she is now pontificating about Palestine. All she is is a troublemaking, publicity seeking young lady.

Wednesday 15th Nov: 09:20

I said it a few days ago and I’ll repeat it now, I have no idea how I ever had time to work, hence the absence of a blog yesterday. Anyway, less of the woe is me, I’ll leave that to Suella Braverman. What do they say; “there is nothing worse than a woman scorned”.

Let me right up front correct one important fact. We have NOT achieved 20 consecutive wins. We have however gone 20 consecutive games without defeat. I had overlooked the epic 3-3 draw with our good friends The Greenies. Thanks Liberty for bringing this to my attention. As we are playing table topping Canterbury II at their place on Saturday I wonder if that run will come to an end. We’ll know soon enough. NOTE: this game kicks off at 15:00 and will be played under lights. Also NOTE: there is a coach to this one. See website for details.

In other news most of the rugby pages lead with the report into the appalling state of the WRU and the many changes that are required, and required urgently. It makes horrendous reading even for someone like me who lambasts wokery and the snowflakes on a regular basis. Mind you the report comes as no surprise with the WRU having allowed dinosaurs to roam unmolested. There is an appetite for change at the top but as we have seen with the proposal to restructure the league pyramid self-interest and narrow-minded pedantry will still get in the way.

Robert Kitson has reviewed Wayne Barnes recently released autobiography, that didn’t take long did it, and he gives it a very favourable review. It lays bare some of the things that are going wrong with the game especially respect and decency going out of the window, plus the pressure the referees are under as the blazers add ever more points of minutiae to the law book. Apparently it is very humorous too. Kitson highlights how Joe Marler approached Barnes pre-match and told him he was a twat. I paraphrase: “best to get it out of the way now”.

The Torygraph brings us 10 tweaks to make the game flow, which apparently Barnes alludes to in his book. I won’t go through all but pick up on the three I have bleated on about for some time. Stop giving penalties at scrums is right up there. Free kicks only and from a free kick you cannot opt to take a scrum. Next up is the role of the TMO. It has gone too far now. We have to rein in these chinless wonders. Serious foul play and when asked to help with a decision by the referee. Nothing else. Then we have the ruck which needs tidying. Keep players on their feet is the answer. This jackling nonsense is slowing the ball and all too often results in a penalty. If the game is to survive we have to stop forensically analysing every bit of play. If a pass looks forward it is forward for example.

Will the Kiwis ever stop moaning? They are now saying Aaron Smith’s try should not have been disallowed. In theory they are right. The knock-on picked up by the TMO was too many phases back to be reviewed according to the guidelines. It was reviewed and the try was chalked off. This is the perfect example of where the game has got it wrong. If a knock-on was so insignificant that it has taken a Silent Witness level of analysis to spot it then the game should continue. If the three officials missed it then so be it. That said the volume of vitriol coming from the keyboard warriors is totally unacceptable. Unlike in the Middle East nobody died. It was a game of rugby. Move on.

World Rugby has taken the interesting step of engaging with a hi-tech institution to analyse the social media accounts of the World Cup referees and where the abuse has been deemed to overstep the mark the information has been disseminated out to the relevant police authorities. Fat lot of good that will do in the UK as the wokery of the police and their inability to solve even the most heinous of crimes is plain for all to see.

Johnny May could be in a bit of bother. He has been cited for a dangerous hit in the early minutes of the game versus Bath. As I read it, it seems a slam dunk.

If you read the Daily Fail you’ll see that Rugby Australia is tearing itself apart. Massively over budget, NRL on the prowl for players, the Super Rugby franchises in disarray. They better get their act together as the Lions and the RWC are heading their way.

Plenty of rugby action this weekend. Another West Country derby sets us up for the weekend ahead. Bath v Bristol on Friday. Dragons v Ospreys on Saturday.

What a shambles. The government tearing itself apart. I thought it was April Fools when I read David Cameron was back in government. As mentioned Braverman isn’t going to go quietly. When you are in an organisation you don’t have to toe the line, you don’t have to be a yes man/woman/person of indeterminate sex, but you do have to respect the direction and objectives of the organisation, especially in public. Going off piste is not a good idea. I did think she talked a lot of sense however.

Monday 13th Nov: 10:25

Autumn is definitely here and winter is on its way. It is difficult not to be gloomy when you look out at leaden skies and rain soaked ground and the forecast of more storms on the way. When you flick through the newspapers ther